“I remind you that this is the 27th victim and that more than 50 horses have lost their lives in the history of racing. I think people have had enough. Riders use their whips to make horses jump at any cost, it’s a tough business,” Jiří Anderle, chairman of the Democratic Party of Greens – For Animal Rights, told ČTK.
The nine-year-old redhead Stuke did not survive Sunday’s Velka Pardubická, but the petition was created three years ago after the death of Sottovento. The Racing Association receives a request to cancel the Taxis moat every year. A few years ago, he founded an expert group that evaluates the safety of the racetrack. It should be the same this year as well.
“So far, it appears that the mass collapse was not caused by the proportions and size of Taxis’ trench. But that the human factor and a coincidence of unfortunate events most likely played a role,” says the chairman of the Racing Association, Jaroslav Müller.
Taxis has really gone through a lot of modifications in recent years. “I had a tactic all my life not to hit a tree while they were still there. Today they are carved out and everyone has a chance to jump over the obstacle. It is modified so that the safety of horses and riders is at the highest level,” explained former jockey and now trainer Josef Váňa Sr. at the end of September. He should be part of the expert team, just like Čestmír Oulehla or Josef Bartoš.
Three years ago, the petition received around seven thousand signatures, after this year’s 133rd edition of Velká Pardubická another three thousand were added. As in 2020, the organizers will send it to the Ministry of Agriculture, the petition committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Racing Association in Pardubice.
“And we will also send it to the media, because of that there can be public pressure. We rely on him. This could make the ice move. If Taxis were not abolished, so that it would be mitigated, it is not safe for the horse, but also for the rider,” Anderle said.
The association last modified Taxis just three years ago, when it removed the landing edge. According to Müller, the association cannot be responsible for the course and development of the races, its duty is to prepare fair, safe and the best possible conditions for the race, which happened this year. “The track was perfectly prepared,” notes the director.
What do you think of Taxis’ moat?
The obstacle should remain as is.
The obstacle is very dangerous, there should be another adjustment.
The obstacle is very dangerous, it should not be jumped at all.
A total of 16756 readers voted.
